Hanger for cylindrical conduits and the like



L. o. CLARKE Dec. 28, 1965 7 W/VI w C O. M MM b ATT United States Patent 3,226,069 HANGER FOR CYLINDRICAL CGNDUITS AND THE LIKE Leonard 0. Clarke, 2204 Maple Lane, Eureka, Calif. Filed Feb. 3, 1364, Ser. No. 342,031 4 Claims. (Cl. 248-73) The present invention is directed to pipe or conduit hangers and relates particularly to an improved hanger adapted to accommodate conduits of different diameters.

One environment for this invention is in the building construction field particularly where it is necessary to fasten a plurality of electrical conduits to a rigid support member. More particularly, a plurality of tubular conduits which may have among themselves different diameters are frequently supported in closely adjacent positions on a cross member or strut. The conduits may be supported along their length at several such cross members spaced, for example to feet apart. Thus a workman will secure each of the series of conduits to the same strut or support at about the same time.

Being that certain of the conduits are of diameters different than the others in the group, it has been necessary for the workman to carry with him or have readily available various sizes of conduit clamps or holders adapted to retain the conduits of different diameters. Of necessity this requires the availability of numerous hangers supplied and entails a workmans selection of the particular hanger for the particular conduit from such supplies.

This arrangement is wasteful in time and tedious especially when the workmen do not have available the size of hanger needed for the particular conduit. Further, it requires the stocking of various sizes of hangers corresponding to the sizes of conduits on the job.

A desirable practice in arranging a plurality of conduits in a side-by-side relationship is to space the conduits closely together as is consistent with the space available. An obstacle frequently encountered in such arrangement is that the close spacing makes extremely diff-cult the attachment of conduit hangers by reason of there being a limited space within which to fix the hangers onto the support and then to secure the hangers or tighten them by means of a hand-tool. Thus practical conditions have limited to a measure the closeness of the spacing which can be obtained.

A general object of the invention is to provide an improved hanger for cylindrical conduits or the like which is readily cooperable with conduits of different diameters.

Another object is to provide a hanger of the type described which permits installation thereof in closely confined quarters.

Still another object is to provide a hanger of the type described which may be brought into clamping engagement with the conduit by use of a hand-tool from either 3,2Z6fi'5'9 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 support member, which hanger is readily mountable, economical to manufacture, and adapted to secure such conduits to a support member firmly over a long service life.

Further features of the invention pertain to the arrangement of the improved conduit hanger whereby the above outlined and additional operating features are attained.

The invention, both as to its organization and method of cooperation, together with further objects and advantages, will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals designate like parts throughout, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing two embodiments of the present invention in operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a view of the hanger of the present invention in its developed or extended position, the view being fragmentary and showing at the upper portion thereof a first form of anchor means and at the lower portion thereof a second form of anchor means encompassed by the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 33 in FIG. 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally in the direction of the arrows along the line 4-4 in FIG. 1.

There is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing a support member 10 having a large conduit 12 fixedly secured thereto by a conduit clamp or hanger 14 and a second and smaller conduit 16 similarly secured to the support 10 by a second form of hanger 18, the hangers 14, 18 being made in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 the support 10 is a tubular element generally rectangular in cross section and having an elongated opening 20 in the upper surface thereof, the borders of which are defined by the spaced apart inwardly turned flanges 22. The inwardly facing or edge surfaces 24 of the flanges 22 may be flat, as shown in FIG. 1, or may be beveled or rounded slightly depending upon the method and apparatus by which the support 10 is fabricated.

The cylindrical conduit 12 may comprise a thin-wall electrical metallic tubing into which is placed a plurality of electrical conductors (not shown). Well understood is that tubing of the instant variety is fabricated in a variety of different sizes the specifications of which pertain to the outside diameter of the tubing and the wall thickness. Thus a 2" tubing would have a 2" outside diameter, the inside diameter being smaller in proportion to the wall size.

On the other hand the conduit 16 may be a conventional pipe such as is frequently used for transmitting fluids. In this case the conduit 16 is specified in accordance with standard pipe sizes which pertain to the nominal inside diameter of the pipe where, for example, a 1" pipe size would have an outside diameter of 1.32". A feature of the invention is that the same conduit clamp or hanger is operable to secure either conduit 12 or 16 to the support 10 where in the past hangens of different sizes were required. Further, the instant conduit hanger or clamp is adaptable to either tubing or pipe sizes interchangeably.

Considering now the conduit hanger 14, such hanger 14 includes a pair of anchors 26 (only one being shown in FIG. 1) formed preferably of sheet metal material of about thickness. As shown in FIG. 2, the anchor 26 is generally T-shaped in plan having re-entry or recessed corners which establish the ears 26a, 26b outwardly of the medial portion 26c of the anchor 26. The cars 26a, 26b are adapted to engage on their upper edges the flange surfaces 24 of the support 10, and when such surfaces 24 are flat the upper edges of the ears may be straight as illustrated for the ears 26a. On the other hand, where the flange surfaces 24 are beveled or rounded it may be desirable to cope the ears downwardly as illustrated for the ears 2611. In most cases the flange surfaces 24 are rounded and the shape of ear 26b is most advantageously used therewith.

Inwardly of the ears 26a, b the medial portion 26c of the anchor presents parallel edges spaced apart in relation to the spaced flanges 22 so as to provide a centering function of the hanger in the gap 20. Should the conduit 12 be urged axially after tightening of the hanger, the medial portion 260 will resist disengagement of the ears 26a or 26b from the flange surface 24 through contact with one flange 22 and thereby maintaining the hanger in operative association with the support 10.

Each anchor 26 has extending from the medial portion 260 thereof a bendably compliable band, formed preferably of metal strap material, which encircles the outer periphery of the conduit 12. As thus arranged the bands overlap, the inner band herein being designated 28, the outer 30. Rigidly mounted on the inner band 28, as by spot welding, is a housing 32 having arranged therein a worm-screw 34, best shown in FIG. 2. The bottom of the housing 32 is open so as to permit the worm-screw 34 to project therethrough into engagement with the outer band 30 and particularly to cooperate with several of the array of transversely disposed screw slots 36 disposed in the outer band 30 over a substantial portion of the length thereof. To be recognized at this juncture is that the outer band 32 is of a length greatly exceeding that of the inner band 28 so that the hanger 14 may accommodate a variety of conduits having widely different diameters. It is necessary that the outer 30 and inner 28 bands overlap so as to permit the worm-screw 34 on the inner band 28 to engage the screw slots 36 of the outer band 30. In most cases a portion of the outer band 30, which may be termed a tail 38, will extend beyond the housing 32, as shown in FIG. 1.

Considering now the means for fastening the anchor 26 to a band 28 or 30, the hanger 14 incorporates a highly advantageous arrangement wherein the band is pivotally fastened to the anchor 26 by means of a fastener such as the rivet 37 whereby the anchor 26 may be rotated with respect to the band through an angle of about 90 so as to come generally into alignment with the band as shown in the broken lines of FIG. 2. As thus arranged the anchor '26 may be inserted into the opening 20 of the support without the need of skewing or otherwise twisting the band. Where adjacent conduits are closely spaced so as to preclude turning of the band and anchor within the space available, the hanger 14 nevertheless may be installed. Once the hanger is in its turned or aligned position and has been inserted downwardly beneath the edge surfaces 24, of the flanges 22, the anchor 26 may be pivoted to its operative condition, as shown in full lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, by simply shaking the band and anchor or by means of a hand-tool such as a screwdriver to bring the ears 26a or 26b into engagement with the surface-s 24 of the flanges 22.

Another form of attachment of the anchor to the band is present in the hanger 18 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. More specifically, the hanger '18 includes a pair of anchors 40 having in the medial portion thereof a slot 42 of a width and height to accommodate the associated band 44. The lower end portion of the band 44 is formed into a J-portion 46 for disposition in the slot 4-2 and may be further affixed to the anchor 40 by spot welding. From this it is clear that the anchor 40 is rigidly secured to the band 44 over a substantial area of the end portion 46 to provide a strong and firm attachment which; may be economically affected.

Referring again to the worm-screw 34 it will be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 that the screw projects from each end of the housing 32. Further, each end of the screw 34 is provided with means for accommodating a hand-tool, such means including an aperture or recess for a screw-driver or Allen wrench. Illustrated herein is a slot 48 at the large end of the screw -34 and a slot 50 at the smaller end thereof. The advantage of having two facilities for rotating the screw 34 is that in tightly confined spaces one end of the screw 34 may be inaccessible for reach with a hand-tool while the other end may be readily accessible. This feature finds great utility where conduits are closely spaced. Further it will be seen from a comparison of the two sizes of conduits 12, 16 that the disposition of the housing 32 with respect to the conduit may vary in accordance with the diameter of such conduit, thus presenting the respective slots 48, 50 at different orientations with respect to the conduit.

By use of the conduit hanger 14 or 18 it has been found that widely varying diameters of conduits may be secured to supports such as support 10 without the need of using a different size of hangers. Thus a workman may go on to the job with but a single or universal size conduit hanger and not 'be required to select a different sized hanger for each diameter of conduit encountered.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for securing a cylindrical conduit or the like fixedly against a support having two spaced apart, inturned flanges defining an elongated slot therebetween, comprising: a pair of anchors insertable longitudinally of such slot and each sized for permitting turning into an operative holding position to extend laterally of a slot, one anchor positionable on each side of such conduit, each anchor having two ears laterally spaced apart a distance to permit engagement of each ear with one such inturned flange; a shoulder inwards of each ear and extending from such slot proximate to the side of an inturned flange for ensuring that said anchor is centered in such slot to maintain each of said ears in engaging association with one of such flanges irrespective of longitudinal forces on such conduit; each anchor having secured thereto mediate said cars a band bendably conformable to the outer periphery of such conduit, each band from the respective anchor extendable over the outer periphery of such conduit to converge with the other band in an overlapping relationship, band-tightening means including a worm-screw mounted on the inside one of the overlapped bands; and means on the outside band cooperable with said worm-screw for contracting said bands to urge such conduit against such flanges, said worm-screw being provided at each end thereof with hand-tool receiving means facilitating rotation of said worm-screw from either end thereof.

2. The apparatus defined in claim -1 wherein the anchor is secured to the band for relative pivotal movement so as to generally align said ears in the direction of the band for ready insertion of the anchor between such inturned flanges.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the anchor medially of said ears is provided with a band receiving opening and the end portion of the band is turned-over for insertion into said opening in hooking engagement with the anchor.

4. The apparatus in claim 1 wherein said hand-tool receiving means includes a screw-driver tip-receiving configurative arranged in said ends.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS Australia. France. France.

Great Britain. Sweden. Switzerland.

CLAUDE A, LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR SECURING A CYLINDRICAL CONDUIT OR THE LIKE FIXEDLY AGAINST A SUPPORT HAVING TWO SPACED APART, INTURNED FLANGES DEFINING AN ELONGATED SLOT THEREBETWEEN, COMPRISING: A PAIR OF ANCHORS INSERTABLE LONGITUDINALLY OF SUCH SLOT AND EACH SIZED FOR PERMITTING TURNING INTO AN OPERATIVE HOLDING POSITION TO EXTEND LATERALLY OF A SLOT, ONE ANCHOR POSITIONABLE ON EACH SIDE OF SUCH CONDUIT, EACH ANCHOR HAVING TWO EARS LATERALLY SPACED APART A DISTANCE TO PERMIT ENGAGEMENT OF EACH EAR WITH ONE SUCH INTURNED FLANGE; A SHOULDER INWARDS OF EACH EAR AND EXTENDING FROM SUCH SLOT PROXIMATE TO THE SIDE OF AN INTURNED FLANGE FOR ENSURING THAT SAID ANCHOR IS CENTERED IN SUCH SLOT TO MAINTAIN EACH OF SAID EARS IN ENGAGING ASSOCIATION WITH ONE OF SUCH FLANGES IRRESPECTIVE OF LONGITUDINAL FORCES ON SUCH CONDUIT; EACH ANCHOR HAVING SECURED THERETO MEDIATE SAID EARS A BAND BENDABLY CONFORMABLE TO THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SUCH CONDUIT, EACH BAND FROM THE RESPECTIVE ANCHOR EXTENDABLE OVER THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SUCH CONDUIT TO CONVERGE WITH THE OTHER BAND IN AN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP, BAND-TIGHTENING MEANS INCLUDING A WORM-SCREW MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE ONE OF THE OVERLAPPED BANDS; AND MEANS ON THE OUTSIDE BAND COOPERABLE WITH SAID WORM-SCREW FOR CONTRACTING SAID BANDS TO URGE SUCH CONDUIT AGAINST SUCH FLANGES, SAID WORM-SCREW BEING PROVIDED AT EACH END THEREOF WITH HAND-TOOL RECEIVING MEANS FACILITATING ROTATION OF SAID WORM-SCREW FROM EITHER END THEREOF. 